Liverpool legend's stark warning to Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk in brutal message

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Former Liverpool star Emile Heskey has urged the Reds to return to their roots in order to halt their current slide. The reigning Premier League defence is under threat after experiencing defeat to Manchester United was their fourth consecutive loss.

The Reds are four points behind league leaders Arsenal in their quest to defend their title. In their last three Premier League outings, Liverpool have been beaten in the final 10 minutes, with their previous two away games ending in stoppage-time heartbreak.

Arne Slot's side need to reignite his team's Champions League campaign following an unexpected loss to Galatasaray in their last match.

The upcoming trip to Brentford on Saturday also poses the threat of further widening the gap in the race for the top spot in English football.

Heskey, who scored 60 goals in 223 appearances for Liverpool, believes the team needs to focus on strengthening their defence as a foundation for success.

"I'm very surprised by the downturn in form," he exclusively revealed to the ECHO via BetBrain .

"They haven't created a lot of chances, they were unlucky against United with Gakpo hitting the post a couple of times but we're so used to Liverpool killing off teams, even in the build-up to these four defeats, it was in 90-plus minutes that we were winning games so it wasn't convincing.

"Now, they need to go back to the drawing board and work back forward again, to stay solid. For me with Liverpool, they were defensively sound, very strong, now it's mistake after mistake and it doesn't look great.

"They need to go back to the drawing board, the beginning, the fundamentals and start defending properly."

Liverpool currently occupy fourth spot in the table, trailing Bournemouth on goal difference, whilst sitting just a point behind Pep Guardiola's outfit and the Gunners, who boast a four-point advantage.

The Reds have endured four consecutive defeats for the first time in 11 years, an unwanted milestone they last reached under Brendan Rodgers .

However, Heskey remains hesitant to brand the recent streak as a crisis, with the 47-year-old adding: "I wouldn't say it's a crisis but four in a row doesn't look great.

"Falling off their perch and leaving it for others to take up that mantle, they're chasing, they're no longer the favourites, they're the chasing-pack now with others."

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